The Public Diplomacy Trap, and Shift of Public Support | Analysis
Ephraim Lapid, who served as the IDF Spokesperson, explains the challenges in the war on public diplomacy, as Israel shifts from defense to offense
Former IDF spokesperson, Brigadier General (res.) Ephraim Lapid, a seasoned intelligence officer, provided insights regarding the war on public opinion in the context of Israel’s current real-world war against Hamas.
“In the beginning, public opinion leaned in our favor. A ground entry into Gaza could sway this,” Lapid explains.
“The fundamental concepts in public diplomacy and public relations today are awareness and influence. We began the war last week as the underdog, in a position of disadvantage, as few against many, facing an enemy that committed heinous acts and abducted women and children. The world saw an abominable enemy, and the comparison to ISIS helped Israel explain itself.
"The moving mobilization of President Biden, the photos and videos of the horrors from the Israeli Gaza envelope communities. We had an advantage. Hamas was depicted not as an enemy of Israel but as an enemy of the entire world – meaning that Israel received international support.
“Also, in terms of the global perception, the arrival of two US aircraft carriers, which are formidable weapons in their own right, also indicated that Israel is the positive party. Now that Israel has shifted from defense to offense, its situation in terms of perception and public opinion has changed.
Israel’s public diplomacy at first was good, what’s next?
“Now we have a problem, which started the moment we started saying that we would kill, eliminate, Hamas leaders,” Lapid explains.
“Hamas took a significant public relations hit when it abducted people, as it did not take prisoners of war but rather civilians, ranging from children to the elderly. In this matter, the enemy was at a serious public diplomacy disadvantage, and therefore, it is now emphasizing the issue of the Israeli warning of expected harm to civilians, if the residents of the northern Gaza Strip do not heed the IDF's advice and do not move southward.
"President Biden presented us with tremendous public opinion gifts: immediate military assistance, five phone calls with Prime Minister Netanyahu. These are important additions to a positive perception of Israel, in addition to visits by foreign ministers and leaders from France, Germany, and more, and expressions of support in the media. Influencing leaders has significance, and in this matter, we have attained international achievement.
"Even regarding the general perception of Israel around the world, on the street, especially in Europe and the USA, it’s doing better than before, as there are prominent pro-Israel demonstrations, albeit also anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian protests. Pro-Israel demonstrators on the streets or on campuses have strong arguments and ample material to show the world.
Public diplomacy during a ground maneuver
“An Israeli infiltration of Gaza will be different, in terms of public opinion, from previous rounds of combat. There is no expected international pressure against Israel, as its ground maneuvers in Gaza will be justified,” Lapid claims.
"Nevertheless, it is possible that the horrific images from Be’eri and Nahal Oz will be replaced by images of Gaza residents whose homes and neighborhoods have been destroyed. Israel, however, will have full justification for entering Gaza because of what has transpired here since the beginning of the war.”
Lapid has high praise for the daily press briefings of IDF Spokesperson, Brigadier General Daniel Hagari. He says that Hagari communicates reliability and truthfulness. He replies to journalists’ questions and speaks firmly and eloquently.
Lapid told us that there’s a WhatsApp group of former IDF spokespersons, who have conveyed their appreciation to Hagari.
Ephraim Lapid, who served as the IDF Spokesperson, explains the challenges in the war on public diplomacy, as Israel shifts from defense to offense
Former IDF spokesperson, Brigadier General (res.) Ephraim Lapid, a seasoned intelligence officer, provided insights regarding the war on public opinion in the context of Israel’s current real-world war against Hamas.
“In the beginning, public opinion leaned in our favor. A ground entry into Gaza could sway this,” Lapid explains.
“The fundamental concepts in public diplomacy and public relations today are awareness and influence. We began the war last week as the underdog, in a position of disadvantage, as few against many, facing an enemy that committed heinous acts and abducted women and children. The world saw an abominable enemy, and the comparison to ISIS helped Israel explain itself.
"The moving mobilization of President Biden, the photos and videos of the horrors from the Israeli Gaza envelope communities. We had an advantage. Hamas was depicted not as an enemy of Israel but as an enemy of the entire world – meaning that Israel received international support.
“Also, in terms of the global perception, the arrival of two US aircraft carriers, which are formidable weapons in their own right, also indicated that Israel is the positive party. Now that Israel has shifted from defense to offense, its situation in terms of perception and public opinion has changed.
Israel’s public diplomacy at first was good, what’s next?
“Now we have a problem, which started the moment we started saying that we would kill, eliminate, Hamas leaders,” Lapid explains.
“Hamas took a significant public relations hit when it abducted people, as it did not take prisoners of war but rather civilians, ranging from children to the elderly. In this matter, the enemy was at a serious public diplomacy disadvantage, and therefore, it is now emphasizing the issue of the Israeli warning of expected harm to civilians, if the residents of the northern Gaza Strip do not heed the IDF's advice and do not move southward.
"President Biden presented us with tremendous public opinion gifts: immediate military assistance, five phone calls with Prime Minister Netanyahu. These are important additions to a positive perception of Israel, in addition to visits by foreign ministers and leaders from France, Germany, and more, and expressions of support in the media. Influencing leaders has significance, and in this matter, we have attained international achievement.
"Even regarding the general perception of Israel around the world, on the street, especially in Europe and the USA, it’s doing better than before, as there are prominent pro-Israel demonstrations, albeit also anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian protests. Pro-Israel demonstrators on the streets or on campuses have strong arguments and ample material to show the world.
Public diplomacy during a ground maneuver
“An Israeli infiltration of Gaza will be different, in terms of public opinion, from previous rounds of combat. There is no expected international pressure against Israel, as its ground maneuvers in Gaza will be justified,” Lapid claims.
"Nevertheless, it is possible that the horrific images from Be’eri and Nahal Oz will be replaced by images of Gaza residents whose homes and neighborhoods have been destroyed. Israel, however, will have full justification for entering Gaza because of what has transpired here since the beginning of the war.”
Lapid has high praise for the daily press briefings of IDF Spokesperson, Brigadier General Daniel Hagari. He says that Hagari communicates reliability and truthfulness. He replies to journalists’ questions and speaks firmly and eloquently.
Lapid told us that there’s a WhatsApp group of former IDF spokespersons, who have conveyed their appreciation to Hagari.
